1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus used in a lithographic process for producing, for example, a semiconductor chip, a liquid crystal display device or an imaging device, and, particularly to an exposure apparatus provided with a unit for preventing a reticle and optical element from being hazed.
2. Related Art
There are conventionally exposure apparatuses so devised that gas purified by passing through water reserved in a water tank is made to flow on a material to be exposed to light.
These exposure apparatuses are to avoid the invasion of undesirable components generated when the gas is irradiated with exposure light (see, for example, Japanese Laid-open patent publication NO. 2000-58433).